A Day in the Life

Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli at the 2010 NFL Combine

All 32 NFL teams packed up and headed to Indianapolis this past week for the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Full positional workouts didn’t kick into gear until Saturday morning (Feb. 27), but that didn’t stop the Chiefs front office from keeping busy during the Friday before. Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli gave KCChiefs.com a behind-the-scenes look at his Friday of NFL Combine week, which started at 4:30 AM and concluded at 12:48 AM Saturday morning.

6:45AM KCChiefs.com arrives at Pioli's Indianapolis hotel. We think we're 15 minutes early, but in reality are over two hours late. Pioli's day got started with a particular meeting at 4:30 AM.

7:00AM Off to Lucas Oil Stadium.

7:08AM Pioli arrives at Lucas Oil Stadium. The concourse, which will represent media frenzy in just a few hours, is vacant.

7:42AM It's time to hit radio row for a live sit-down with Peter King and Vic Carucci of NFL Sirius Radio.

7:59AM Pioli's radio segment is over. Mike Mayock of NFL Network stops by to say hello, he will have Pioli on for a live television segment later in the day. Next, it's back to the hotel for a meeting with other NFL general managers.

8:19AM Back at the hotel, Pioli sees an old co-worker in Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff. ESPN's John Clayton (left) enjoys watching the greeting.

8:30AM Meeting time. Pioli grabs a quick breakfast (a bagel) and is joined by Colts President Bill Polian in route to the closed-door meeting of NFL front office personnel. The doors won't open again until 11:30 AM.

11:56AM It's back to Lucas Oil Stadium. Pioli spends the majority of his lunch hour on the phone, with league and player contacts, before finding a seat to watch Combine kickers workout.

1:00PM Special teams coach Steve Hoffman joins Pioli to evaluate and discuss special teams workouts. Director of college scouting Phil Emery jots down notes from inside.

1:40PM More media requests. Pioli joins Mike Mayock for a live interview on the field. NFL scouts continue to evaluate kicking prospects behind Pioli and Mayock (out of picture, two NFL Network spotters make sure that no errant kicks bounce into the set).

2:02PM Surprise! NFL Network producers chase down Pioli during his walk off the set. They need quotes from various NFL GMs for a special television series about the draft. Pioli obliges.

2:12PM Special teams workouts are still going on. Pioli will join Hoffman and Emery once again to talk evaluation for the next hour.

3:45PM Pioli arrives at the Indianapolis Hyatt for the Fritz Pollard Alliance Reception. He's joined at check-in by Colts head coach Jim Caldwell.

4:O5PM Bears head coach Lovie Smith chats with Pioli before the reception begins. The majority of NFL teams have bought a table to benefit they Fritz Pollard Alliance, which will keep Pioli occupied for nearly two hours.

5:50PM Pioli returns to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where the Chiefs have an interview room set up for closed-door meetings with NFL Combine invitees. Dolphins tight ends coach George DeLeone (right) is on his way to the Dolphins room. Pioli and DeLeone coached together at Syracuse - Pioli's first coaching stop (1988-89).

6:O0PM Doors are closed. Interviews in progress

7:30PM Prospects have been flowing in and out of the Chiefs room for quite some time. An air horn sounds every 15 minutes, signaling the end of individual interview sessions.

9:00PM Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis talks about prospects with Pioli and others on the Chiefs coaching staff between visits.

9:03PM More interviews. KCChiefs.com has had enough for the day, but Pioli, Todd Haley (far left) and the rest of the football staff have not. They'll keep it going for another 90 minutes with player interviews before more scheduled meetings await.